Recap of CPRC-SETAC 2013 Annual Spring Meeting

CPRC logoThe air was chillier than expected, but that didn’t slow down the 55 scientists who gathered at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC) on Earth Day. The occasion was the annual spring meeting of the Chesapeake Potomac Regional Chapter (CPRC) of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). Science Traveler is a proud sponsor of CPRC.

Day one was a free optional day made available for CPRC members and their families to take advantage of the varied wildlife habitats at CBEC. A small group of us met in the early morning of April 21st for a guided bird walk led by Dave Palmer of Wildlife International. Dave’s knowledge of the local birds was amazing as he often identified them from their calls long before they came into sight. In the two hours or so walk through marshland, forest, and around the lake, we saw several dozen different kinds of birds, including nesting owls and ospreys. In the afternoon several members boarded kayaks for a closer look at the habitats and birds.

CPRC birdwalk

Day two was the meat of the meeting. Fifteen speakers presented their research and entertained questions. Vicki Paulus gave us some insights into the activities at CBEC, followed by an update on SETAC activities by long-time CPRC member and immediate past-president of SETAC-North America, Barnett Rattner. Our keynote speaker was Tim Wheeler, environmental reporter for The Baltimore Sun, who gave us a history of the 30-year fight to save the Chesapeake Bay.

Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun

Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun

I’m happy to say that we had a wonderful showing of students at the meeting. In addition to the platform presenters we had several posters that stood prominently on easels in the meeting hall. Five of these students won CPRC presentation awards –  more on those in a future post.

CPRC annual spring meeting 2013

I’m also very happy to see the engagement of participants at the meeting. The question and answer portions of each talk were often quite lively, with some speakers holding court during the breaks to answer questions that overflowed the allotted time. Even more impressive was the number of people who participated in the “Open Board” meeting during the lunch break. The interest level for doing even more during the rest of the year was very high, as illustrated by the number of people who volunteered for open officer positions, student representative to the Board, and the steering committee to plan the 2014 spring meeting. [Note to all – the Board met last week and will be scheduling elections and follow up meetings shortly]

We wrapped up our Earth Day meeting with a reception that included some amazing food (I was partial to the shrimp), not to mention wine and beer. Thanks to all who attended. Thanks also to Vicki and Judy at CBEC for making available the facility and Casual Caterers for catering everything from breakfast through the reception.

CPRC Board et al.

CPRC Board et al. (Photo courtesy of Dan Lavoie)

And finally, as the current President of CPRC, I would like to formally thank everyone on the Board and Steering Committee who made this all happen. The work you all put into this meeting was outstanding.

More from the meeting will be posted on the ever-expanding CPRC website.

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.

CPRC Annual Meeting at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center – April 22 (Earth Day)

CPRC logoPlans are coming together for the Annual Meeting of the Chesapeake-Potomac Regional Chapter (CPRC) of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). Yes, that was a mouthful, but the important point here is that CPRC has chosen Earth Day (April 22nd) for its annual meeting. And what a meeting it is shaping up to be.

In case you missed it, Science Traveler has become an Associate Sponsor of CPRC (and yours truly is honored to be the current CPRC President). CPRC is “a professional forum for individuals from private industry, academia, and government agencies who are engaged in the study and analysis and solutions for environmental problems.” Because of our location near our nation’s capital and the Chesapeake Bay being the dominant ecological feature, it is eminently appropriate that the chapter hold its meeting at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC). I’ll have a more in-depth profile of CBEC soon; for now I’ll focus on the keynote speaker for the meeting – Tim Wheeler.

Tim Wheeler is the environment and Chesapeake Bay reporter for the Baltimore Sun. He has received many awards for his work, most recently the 2012 “Excellence in Journalism” award from the Renewable Resources Foundation for his reporting on efforts to clean up Baltimore Harbor. As a former president of the Society of Environmental Journalists and a long-time writer about the region, Tim is the perfect keynote.

Tim’s talk: Saving the Bay: 30 years and Counting

There will be much more at this event. More speakers. More food. More drink. And for those who venture out a day early, a guided bird walk, kayaking, and a chance to hobnob with a raptor or two (or three).

More information on the CPRC meeting can be found on the CPRC website.

More about CPRC and SETAC.

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.

Science Traveler to Sponsor Chesapeake Potomac Chapter of SETAC

It is with great pleasure that I announce Science Traveler (i.e., this website) has signed up to be an Associate Sponsor of the Chesapeake Potomac Regional Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Okay, that was a mouthful. How about we just say CPRC and SETAC. You can find their websites by clicking on the links above, or even better, clicking on the really cool logo below.

CPRC logo

The role of CPRC is to, well, I’ll let them tell you:

Our chapter provides a professional forum for individuals from private industry, academia, and government agencies who are engaged in the study and analysis and solutions for environmental problems, management and regulation of natural resources, and/or research and development.  We facilitate networking and educational opportunities for scientific professionals, mentoring and career guidance for students, and environmental education and outreach fo the public.

CPRC will have its annual spring meeting on April 22nd, Earth Day, this year. If you’re in the Washington DC/Maryland/Virginia/West Virginia (or Delaware) area, feel free to check out the meeting details here.

As a new Associate Sponsor, Science Traveler plays a key role in helping CPRC foster interaction among its members, sponsor scientific meetings and social events, produce a biannual newsletter, maintain a website, and, perhaps most importantly, sponsor student awards “that encourage and promote the research and professional development of our student members.” CPRC ad Spring 2013

I’m proud that Science Traveler is sponsoring CPRC. And to roughly paraphrase that old Hair Club for Men TV commercial, “I’m not only a sponsor, I’m the current President of CPRC.”

More about CPRC and SETAC.

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.